Glenn Bisquera, a 2012 graduate of the Master of Arts in Faith and Culture program, is experiencing what he has termed “the magnanimity of loss.” He has given up everything - his car, house and lifestyle - because God’s love is so overwhelming he could no longer resist His call. Bisquera will pursue a vocation as a priest with the Passionists of the Holy Cross Province.

The Passionists are a global order of Roman Catholic priests, brothers, nuns, sisters and laity who proclaim God’s love for the world revealed through the Passion of Jesus Christ. Founded in 1741 by St. Paul of the Cross, they continue to carry a message of compassion and hope to 59 countries throughout the world.

“What drew me to the Passionists was their compassion to the crucified of today,” Bisquera said. “When I met with them, we talked and I told them what I had been through, and I got the sense that they weren’t giving advice, they were listeners. I’ve met different priests, but with them a simple conversation became a transformative experience. It led me to consider and discern.”

Bisquera, originally from the Philippines, moved to the United States after being accepted by the University of St. Thomas Master of Divinity program in 2005. He graduated in 2008 and moved to Austin, where he worked as a medical technologist. He learned about UST’s Master of Arts in Faith and Culture program through an online advertisement and promptly contacted the Rev. Donald Nesti, CSSp, director of the Center for Faith and Culture.

After earning his MAFC in 2012, he began working as an assistant programs director at two churches in Beaumont, Texas. There, he first heard about the Rev. Enno Dango, a Passionist priest who was giving a talk on missions. Bisquera’s parish priest encouraged him give the priest a call.

“I was enjoying my life,” Bisquera said. “I liked to travel and I knew that when you became a priest you don’t get to travel as much. After a month I gave him a call.”

Although Bisquera’s spirituality is Passionist, his education is Basilian. He said he is thankful for his Basilian education because the priests of the Congregation of St. Basil were able to instill within him the foundations of the Catholic faith. In a position where people will come with questions about faith and God, he finds having a strong theological background is invaluable.

Bisquera professed his first vows on Aug. 18 in the presence of family, friends and members of the Passionist community at Christ the King Passionist Retreat Center in Citrus Heights, Cali. He will continue his studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Ill. where he will pursue an Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry. Pending further discernment, Bisquera will profess final vows after he finishes his studies in two years.

“It was not difficult for me to give up my life,” Bisquera said. “Every day I am with the Passionists is fulfilling. I am looking forward to what God has in store for me.”

The Master of Arts in Faith and Culture graduate program is designed to form people in the professions, community leaders and church personnel capable of assisting others in the integration of personal and communal faith and the American way of life, as faithful citizens.

During spring break, two students from the University of St. Thomas traded the warmer H...

University of St. Thomas
The University of St. Thomas, dedicated to educating leaders of faith and character, is a private institution committed to the liberal arts and to the religious, ethical and intellectual tradition of Catholic higher education. St. Thomas is Houston’s only Catholic University and was founded by the Basilian Fathers in 1947.